


Birthright — Season 1

by FidgetGlitterBlossom



Series: Birthright [1]
Category: Sofia The First - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-02 10:55:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16303832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FidgetGlitterBlossom/pseuds/FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: His whole life, Cedric has known that he will someday be called to follow in the footsteps of those who came before him. In the weeks leading up to the annual Samhain Festival, he must finally face his destiny while guiding another to her own. AU. Mild violence. October Special.





	1. The Mark

It was a brisk autumn evening, just shy of a fortnight after Sofia's sixteenth birthday, and the harvest moon hung full and red in the inky sky above. The trees had begun to shed their healthy summer foliage, their bare branches jutting every which way and darkly contrasting the thick, grey clouds that littered the sky, threatening to snuff out the only light source.

Sofia had stayed well past sundown for an important ballet rehearsal with Professor Popov, practising a solo number for the upcoming recital. Her entire body ached terribly and she was fairly certain she'd never been so tired in her life, even counting the time she had expended all of her magic and fainted while helping Cedric defend the kingdom from a misguided tribe of elves. _I'm going to collapse onto my bed and never leave it again,_ she promised herself as she ambled her way to the ageing stables outside of Royal Prep, thankful that she had brought a cloak with her to combat the crisp October chill, though a small shiver still traced its way down her spine.

As she trudged down the familiar winding paths of her former school, she first got the distinct impression that she was being watched, then followed from a distance. Stopping in her tracks, she glanced around cautiously but found nothing out of the ordinary. _That's odd_ , she mused, but ultimately chalked her restlessness up to a side effect of her bone-deep exhaustion. She continued on her way but couldn't shake the foreboding sensation no matter how she tried. At the double doors to the stables, she heard the telltale rustling and crunching of dried leaves under feet and spun around in time to see an unfamiliar man lunging towards her.

* * *

"I can't talk right now, father", Cedric muttered dismissively as Goodwyn, fresh from the enchanted portrait, regained his full height beside the desk. "I'm busy preparing the Samhain festivities." While he normally begrudged such menial tasks, Samhain was Sofia's favourite day of the year, and he'd come to enjoy making a big deal out of the royal celebration for her sake.

Undeterred, the elder sorcerer laid a hand on his son's shoulder, gaining his hesitant attention. "It's time, Cedric", Goodwyn spoke softly, but there was an underlying firmness to his tone which conveyed so much more than his actual statement.

Cedric's eyes widened as he easily grasped his father's meaning. For years, he had been simultaneously expecting this particular visit and believing that it would never come.

"What? N– no, it couldn't possibly be. We don't even know wh– who she is yet", he sputtered, his heart beginning to beat harshly beneath his chest as though it might break free from the prison of his rib cage.

"We know enough. It's happening now, at Royal Prep", Goodwyn answered bluntly.

Cedric's mind raced, raw nerves blurring rational thought. Sofia had missed her lesson to practise some dance at the school, and though there were pressing matters that demanded his immediate attention, his main concern was whether she'd made it home yet. Of all the days for this to happen, he griped, resisting the urge to run downstairs to his apprentice's chambers and confirm that she'd come back safely.

"Royal Prep? That's the children's old school. You don't suppose she's a princess, do you?" Cedric queried, still trying to wrap his head around this news.

Goodwyn shrugged, signalling that he now knew exactly as much about the subject as Cedric. "I really couldn't say, but you must go there at once." With that, he vanished back into the portrait that hung on the stone wall.

Left to his own devices, Cedric hurried to his bedroom, lifted the mattress from his bed frame with only mild difficulty, and tugged out an old chest from underneath. He quickly emptied the box of nearly all its contents — tucking them into the various inner pockets of his purple sorcerer's robe.

Finished with his task, he transported to Royal Prep, materialising on the school grounds in time to hear the unmistakable voice of his best friend and apprentice letting out a horrific scream.

"Sofia!" Cedric called out anxiously, hoping against hope that she was somehow okay and willing his sight to adjust to the sudden darkness of his new surroundings.

A guttural, animalistic growl sounded behind him and he spun to find a burly, dark-haired man, haggard in his appearance, pinning the second princess of Enchancia to the dry grass a good distance from where he stood. The scene was nightmarish and he had to fight against the instinct to draw his wand, knowing it would do no good in this battle. _You can do this, Cedric. You trained for this,_ he reassured himself, racing across the field. _About eighteen years ago,_ a second inner voice, one that sounded suspiciously like his father, mocked him, but Cedric shook it away. Fear for Sofia's safety prompted him to act on impulse and he grabbed the back of the man's weathered suit jacket, deftly tugging him off of the girl.

"Run!" Cedric managed to bark out the solitary command before her attacker switched his attention from Sofia to the sorcerer.

I only need to fend him off and give Sofia a chance to escape. She can handle the rest when she gets here. He landed a punch, but the blow mostly served to transform the brute's features into a monstrous visage, complete with a wicked grin. Oh great, I'll just amuse him to death, Cedric chided himself, making a break back across the field. A glance over his shoulder alerted him in an instant that this was a mistake, however, as Sofia hadn't run at all. Rather, she was doing everything she could to lure the beastly man away from her mentor. Worse, she was succeeding. _Why you impudent little—_

"I told you to run!" Cedric huffed as he switched directions yet again, determined to put himself between Sofia and the fiend.

Somehow, she pulled off an indignant glare in his direction while simultaneously dodging an attack.

"What do you want?" Sofia boldly demanded of the stranger, trying to maintain a safe distance as he rushed her again.

"Oh, I can think of a few things", he answered with a sneer, and Cedric was not at all fond of the suggestive tone in his deep voice or the way his gaze lewdly swept across Sofia's form.

Reaching into his robe, Cedric retrieved a long, pointed piece of wood and aimed it at the man's broad back. _I just need to..._ he began to reassure himself, but he lacked the stealth required to sneak up undetected at such a pace and soon he was being thrown hard to the ground, his weapon knocked from his hands to land directly at Sofia's feet. Her eyes travelled from it to him and he shook his head furiously at her. He wanted to insist, again, that she must leave him and escape, but their assailant was on top of him, face so close to Cedric's that he nearly gagged from the overbearing odour of his putrid breath, the weight of the larger man crushing his lungs, rendering him incapable of speech.

"You think you can protect her?" the monster taunted Cedric, punctuating the question with a derisive chortle.

Cedric struggled for the ability to reply, and he was opening his mouth to make an attempt when the man vanished into a cloud of thick black dust, revealing a rather aghast Sofia as it cleared. She hastily dropped the stake and stumbled backwards.

"I–I..." she stammered out, at a complete loss for words. Her face contorted in pure anguish as she stared down at Cedric.

He scrambled to his feet and embraced the girl, wanting with everything in him to calm her, convince her that she'd done nothing wrong. It wasn't uncommon for him, this fierce, inexplicable urge to protect and comfort Sofia. He'd never grown entirely accustomed to it, but it drove him often enough that he no longer questioned it much.

"Shh. It's alright. You did the right thing, Sofia", he soothed the princess, murmuring the words into the wild auburn curls at the top of her head.

She nodded against him, but her body began to tremble and he was perfectly aware that she was trying to be discreet as she cried into his chest. "Did I... Did I kill someone?" she hiccoughed, and Cedric felt an awful pang in his chest.

Of course Sofia, the most kindhearted person he'd ever met, would guilt herself over the man's demise no matter how obviously justified her actions had been.

"No, he wasn't real", Cedric assured her, lifting a hand to stroke his fingers through her hair. _Well, not the way you think he was, at least,_ he added silently.

"What was that?" she breathed, but Cedric simply shook his head, not bothering to suppress a deep sigh.

"I can't tell you that", he whispered regretfully.

If he would break his vow of secrecy for anyone, it would be the princess who currently clung to his robes, but he couldn't. He'd sworn his oath long ago. Besides, the truth wouldn't serve to make her feel any better. He scanned the horizon for the one girl who could have prevented all of this, wondering why she hadn't come.

A plume of ruby smoke appeared nearby soon Cedric was met with the disapproving glower of his father. Usually this would cause him to distance himself from Sofia in order to maintain the appearance of propriety, but after everything she'd gone through he couldn't bring himself to do that to her.

"Where is she?" Goodwyn demanded gruffly, searching for the girl they'd been expecting.

Sofia sniffled into Cedric's robe and peeked out at the older sorcerer.

"She didn't come", Cedric informed his father evenly, coaxing Sofia to relax against him again. 

Goodwyn spun to face him, completely befuddled by his words. "What do you mean, 'didn't come'? The Council said you would meet her here", he blustered, clearly unable to believe the girl had been absent for the fight.

"Who are you talking about?" Sofia interjected, gazing up at Cedric with puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

"It doesn't matter right now. Were you harmed?" Cedric questioned, wincing as Sofia nodded softly.

She stepped back from his grasp and for the first time he noticed the rips in the bodice of her gown — deep, angry gashes visible beneath. Cedric nearly choked at the sight.

"Of course it matters. She must be here somewhere", Goodwyn pressed on, completely oblivious to their exchange, as he sought any sign that someone else was nearby.

Cedric ignored him, producing his wand and transporting himself and Sofia back to the tower, his father appearing soon after.

"On the table", Cedric instructed Sofia impatiently, hurrying to his cabinet to dig out a healing salve.

Sofia hopped up onto the surface as she was told and Cedric returned quickly, disregarding his station long enough to pry away the scraps from several layers of blood soaked fabric that clung to her wounds.

"How did this happen?" Goodwyn asked, finally grasping that Sofia was injured. Cedric shot him an annoyed glance before returning to his task.

"I told you, she didn't show up. Sofia could have been killed!" Cedric spat out angrily as he attempted to dislodge a particularly stubborn piece, hesitating when Sofia winced and sucked in a sharp breath.

"The Council couldn't have been wrong", Goodwyn doubled down on his stance, unsurprisingly refusing to believe his son's account of the evening.

"Just like they never miss one", Cedric retorted sardonically.

Goodwyn shook his head at the younger man's tone. "That's precisely why it's so urgent that we find her. If she's activated with no training and no idea of what's happening–" Goodwyn began, but Cedric didn't especially care about any of that right now.

It's her fault that Sofia was hurt, he fumed, though he feigned a smile as he checked on his patient, and soon Sofia nodded that it was alright for him to continue tending to her. "When I find that girl, I'm going to..." Peeling the fabric back further, he trailed off, too astonished to form words as he stared at the broken wine stained ring directly above the top gash on Sofia's torso, closely resembling the teeth marks one might get from a hard bite. His eyes shot up to meet hers, but she avoided his gaze, her cheeks flushing visibly. "Has this always been here?" he questioned her gently.

Sofia swallowed hard before bobbing her head so slightly that he almost missed the gesture.

"You might want to have a look at this", Cedric called over his shoulder to his father, who was now pacing the stone floor behind him.

"For goodness' sake, Cedric, just heal the child already so we can get back to the business at hand", Goodwyn scolded, marching over while making no attempt to mask his annoyance. He stopped abruptly a short distance from the pair, all the colour rapidly draining from his round face. "She bears the mark?"

Cedric was fairly certain his father meant it to be a statement, but it sounded much more like a question. He nodded dumbly, a wide grin spreading across his face. For as long as he could recall he had been dreading this day, but if Sofia truly was the girl they'd spent years seeking, then this might actually be bearable after all. Excitement quickly gave way to apprehension as he remembered that it also meant his best friend now came complete with an early expiration date. He did his best not to think about that and forced the carefree expression to remain plastered on his face.

"It's just a birthmark", Sofia mumbled, self-consciously covering the patch with her arms.

Cedric placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing in a deep breath. "There are some things we need to discuss, Sofia", he told her quietly, unsure how to properly breach the unusual topic.

"I'll leave you to it", Goodwyn dismissed himself, disappearing from the tower.

For his departure, Cedric was utterly grateful. It would be much easier to have this conversation without the old man peering over his shoulder, silently judging every word and bit of contact that passed between the two of them. Sofia may be blissfully unaware of it, but Cedric had heard the lectures about how 'inappropriate' their close friendship was more times than he cared to count and he could definitely do without another one. Cedric engaged himself with slathering Sofia's injuries with the foamy pink salve, deciding that the rest could wait until after she was cared for.

"The girl you were looking for, who was she?" Sofia ventured to ask after he applied the last of it.

Cedric chuckled lightly and perched on the table beside her, wiping the excess cream off onto the leg of his trousers. "Well... you, as it turns out", he whispered, still awed by the revelation.

"I don't understand", she replied, mirroring his hushed tone.

"That mark on your stomach is called the Mark of the Coven. It appears only on very special girls. Remarkable young women born with a destiny to–" he decided to change course to make sure she would have any idea what he was on about. "Have you ever heard of vampires?"

Sofia stared at him like he'd grown a second head and, honestly, he couldn't blame her for being sceptical. "The villagers talked about them sometimes, but mom said they weren't real", Sofia worried her lip as she tried to recall any of the superstitious gossip from her childhood. "I don't remember much of what I overheard."

"They are real, and extremely dangerous. You, uh, you met one tonight, actually", he paused, allowing this information time to sink in. "Some of the girls born with that mark anywhere on them are called to fight them in order to protect others from being killed or turned into more of their kind", he continued, trying to read her unfamiliar expression.

"But not all of them? I mean, I could go my whole life without–" she peered up at him, her bright azure eyes filling with hope. He was loath to disappoint her, but it was his duty.

"Not all of them, but you have been chosen."

Sofia sank against him as he spoke and he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. "So I have to–to fight those... things?" she whimpered, and Cedric nodded, resting his chin on the top of her head as he drew her closer.

"Not alone. I was out there tonight because I'm sworn to help. You should have been identified at birth and brought here for training when you were very young but, for whatever reason, you slipped through the cracks."

Sofia shifted out of his grip to throw her arms around his neck. "Then I'm sure it'll be alright. When we're together, we can handle anything."

Cedric bristled at her optimism, the only one between them who was aware that her life expectancy had been drastically reduced by fate.


	2. Vampyre

A familiar knock on Cedric's tower door roused him from a restless night's sleep, and he blinked at the breaking light streaming in through the windows of his bedroom, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. He couldn't think of a single reason Sofia would visit so early in the morning — especially on his day off. Curiosity dragged him out of bed, though the fleeting details of his slumber haunted him as he dressed.

After throwing on his charcoal trousers and olive tunic, he considered shrugging on his sorcerer's robe but ultimately rejected it. Satisfied that his appearance was at least passable for Sofia's company and, not wanting to leave her waiting on the landing any longer, he hurried up the stairs to his workshop just as she renewed her usual rhythm against the wood.

"I had the strangest dream last night", Cedric announced loudly enough to be heard through the barrier as he fumbled with the lock to unbolt it for her. 

He opened the door and examined Sofia, who stood on his threshold dressed in her form-fitting plum riding habit — though she had skipped the traditional topper and jacket and added worn brown leather boots in place of her shiny black ones. Her hair, which usually fell in loose ringlets that framed her face and cascaded down her back, was gathered into a practical, albeit a bit sloppy, bun atop her head. Cedric furrowed his brow, trying to discern the purpose for her curious appearance.

"What about?" Sofia, not missing a beat, chirped in a tone far too chipper for so early in the day as she breezed past him into the tower. 

"What…? Oh", Cedric brushed off the question with a dismissive wave of his gloved hand, closing the door and trailing her inside the workshop. "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, clearing his throat when he noticed his voice was still thick with sleep.

"You said we would begin training first thing in the morning", she reminded him, and Cedric could vaguely remember saying something along those lines. "I thought a gown might prove too cumbersome." As she explained, she twirled for his inspection, stopping once she was facing him again and flashing a bright smile. Cedric absorbed her explanation, reluctantly accepting that his 'dream' had been real. 

"Y-yes, of course… training", he stammered, wondering how he should begin preparing his Slayer for this new reality that had been thrust upon her with no warning whatsoever. His Slayer. Now there was an odd notion, one that managed to be simultaneously comforting and unsettling in equal parts. His gaze swept over her once again as he tried to acclimate himself to the idea. "That outfit will do, I suppose, though it won't be necessary as of yet." He turned, gesturing for her to follow him into the library. "You and I appear to have vastly different ideas of what constitutes first thing in the morning", Cedric called over his shoulder as he passed through the curtained doorway, pausing to hold the fabric aside so she could join him.

Drawing his wand from his pocket, he used the tool to light the logs in his fireplace, the wood hissing and crackling in protest of the sudden heat. Then, he located a fairly neglected volume near the top of one of the many overcrowded bookshelves and magically floated the heavy black leather tome down to Sofia's awaiting palms.

"Vampyr", Sofia read the title aloud, a hint of disbelief in her tone, as she gingerly traced the ornate gold-leafed letters on the cover.

"It's a sort of, uh… guidebook for new Slayers. Don't let the title fool you, it also contains a wealth of information on alternate worlds, other demonic breeds, and the laws of magic in general." He shrugged, enjoying the way her eyes sparkled at the mention of 'magic', a topic that had never failed to intrigue her.

"So we're starting with homework?" Sofia giggled at her own joke, opening to the first page while absently flopping down onto his ageing sofa — a piece of furniture much too large for the space but far too comfortable to part with.

"Would you prefer a quiz?" Cedric teased, claiming the spot beside her.

"No, thank you. I'd rather not have that sort of pressure on my first day", Sofia answered, tittering as she scanned the index.

"You mean your second day", Cedric corrected, glancing over her shoulder as she began studying the first full page of text.

"Was that truly a vampire last night? He looked so, well... ordinary at first." She pondered the bizarre confrontation, settling in against him.

Cedric nodded solemnly. "That's their trick. The other demons appear as they are: monstrous. A vampire, on the other hand, is only half demon, allowing them to mask their true form until they're ready to feed on their victim", Cedric explained, reaching across her to thumb a few pages past the one they were currently on, halting when he recognised the illustrations of vampires in their alternate state.

They skimmed over the entry together, with Sofia asking more questions as they read. When they came to the end she glanced up at him hesitantly, her azure eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion. "Do they… is there a part about me in here? Am I…"

Cedric frowned down at her, unsure of what, exactly, she was trying to put into words. "Are you what?" he pressed after waiting so long for her to finish that he became certain that she wouldn't.

"Am I some sort of demon?" she whispered fearfully.

Cedric chuckled, reaching around her to rub comforting circles against her upper arm. "Sofia, in the very long list of words that describe you, 'demonic' is entirely absent", he reassured her as best he could, but she didn't seem convinced, so he paged through to another section of the book, perhaps the most important one of all. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will yield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer", Cedric read the passage out loud, though truthfully he didn't even need the book. His father had given him the speech so many times when he was a child that he would wager he could easily recite it in his sleep.

"But you said many girls are born with the mark", Sofia pointed out, invoking his words from the prior evening.

"Yes, thousands at a time. Most will live their whole lives without becoming a Slayer", Cedric replied, flicking her lightly on the forehead. "Don't go over-thinking it, this is merely a summary. It would take an entire library full of books and an insane amount of research to truly define all that a Slayer is." There was much more she needed to learn from the book before they went hunting for the first time, but he could tell that Sofia wasn't ready to move on, so he waited.

"So if I was- Does that mean tomorrow some other girl could be chosen and I would simply go back to normal?" she queried, her tone brimming with hope.

Cedric sighed. He'd been dreading this inevitable question ever since he discovered her birthmark. "A new Slayer is called only when the previous one dies", he admitted quietly, trying to avoid letting on about how frequently this occurred.

"Oh." Growing silent, Sofia returned her attention to the page in front of them.

Cedric wished he knew anything he could say to soften the blow but nothing came to mind.

"If something happens to me, would you be the next girl's Watcher?" she questioned after a few minutes. Cedric shook his head.

"No. You are my only Slayer. Should you…" Cedric threw his hands up in aggravation, unable to say it. He hated this. The very thought of holding a calm, rational conversation about the death of his best friend disturbed him beyond words. "I'll have fulfilled my own destiny."

Sofia adjusted herself to face him as he spoke. "How often do–"

He couldn't stand to dwell on the morbid subject any longer. Besides, he had already decided that he would let no harm befall the girl. "I won't let anything happen to you. Do you understand me?" He reached out a hand to cup her cheek, firmly locking eyes with her and mentally pleading with her to stop asking questions he couldn't bear to burden her with the answers to. "We're in this together."

* * *

"What would it have been like, I wonder…" Sofia pondered as she sat down for a well-earned lunch break.

"What's that?" Cedric asked distractedly, placing two plates of food on the table. He didn't miss the way Sofia's nose wrinkled at the sight of the cuts of beef on his plate and he had the decency to smile apologetically as he set down the meatless salad that he'd prepared knowing she would require an alternative. He sat down opposite her, taking a sip of his tea and watching with amusement as she tucked in far more hastily than would probably go uncorrected in the royal dining room.

Something he had learnt during the years of friendship with the youngest princess was that he found it incredibly charming when she forgot herself inside the safe haven of his tower, where there was no one around to insist she conduct herself properly at all times. Of all the facets that comprised Sofia, he quite favoured the carefree village girl that occasionally surfaced when her guard was down, and he imagined that perhaps this was what had endeared her to him all those years ago, despite the venomous contempt he held for nobility at the time of her arrival.

"If I was discovered as a baby", she supplied between bites, disrupting his quiet observation.

He set his cup down beside his plate, trying to picture the way things might have been. "Well, you would have come to live here with me. Sometime within your first few years, I believe. We would have begun your training immediately: reading the handbook, handling weapons, teaching you how to fight. Things of that nature", he explained with a slight shrug, though now he was also curious about how things may have been different.

If he'd met Sofia four or five years earlier, would it have made a drastic impact on his life? Would being raised by a man who had already turned his back on the world have made her a different person altogether? Questions that were fascinating but ultimately impossible to answer.

"How funny that I ended up here anyhow", she mused.

The reason behind that, Cedric understood perfectly well.

"As a Slayer, you'll learn destiny has a great deal to do with most things. In time, you will come to strongly believe in prophesies, premonition, and your own intuition", Cedric informed her, taking a forkful of his own food.

"So, you're saying…?" she trailed off, clearly struggling to put something into words that wouldn't cooperate.

"I'm saying that you were always meant to be my Slayer", he finished for her. "When the Council failed to deliver you, fate stepped in to fill the void. Had I not been so blinded by my own foolhardy ambitions, I might have recognised that and we wouldn't be stuck playing catch up now", Cedric grumbled, scowling at himself for being so short-sighted over the years. After all, he'd been expecting a Slayer and she was right under his nose, often literally, the entire time.

"Your father was just as surprised as you were", Sofia offered, ever the master at the delicate art of sensing when his thoughts were dragging him down, along with saying exactly what was needed to guide him back into the light.

"As amusing as that thought is, all it proves is that we were both fools", Cedric countered, though he did feel a little better knowing Goodwyn had overlooked her, too. "You're athletic, strong for your size, you've always had a keen insight about people. The signs were all there." Cedric scratched at the back of his neck in irritation.

"Are those traits commonly found in Slayers?" Sofia asked, setting her fork aside to take a sip of her jasmine tea, a flavour Cedric stocked solely for her benefit.

"Amongst others. Most notably accelerated healing… speaking of which, how is your injury?" Cedric peered over at her as he remembered to ask how she was faring. "Do you need me to have another look at it?"

Ever since he was a young boy, he'd been taught that a Slayer was little more than a tool to be utilised in the eternal battle between good and evil. A weapon. Only now, with Sofia as his Slayer, did he understand how appalling the concept was, to view these remarkable girls as one would a sword or wand - handy but easy to replace once broken. No, he would continue to view Sofia as a person first and foremost, no matter how that may complicate things to come. Distancing himself from her wasn't really an option now, if it ever had been to begin with.

Sofia leaned across the table and clasped his hand in her own, smiling warmly at him as her thumb traced across his palm. "It's much better, all thanks to you. I suppose I'll have to be more careful from now–" Her response ended abruptly, her attention shifting to a point behind his shoulder as the smile melted away.

Cedric craned his neck to follow her distracted gaze.

"Hello Cedric. Princess Sofia." Goodwyn nodded at the pair as he greeted them.

_How long has he been standing there?_

"The Princess and I were just beginning her training", Cedric blurted out, though he knew the excuse was paltry when paired with the sight of them sitting down for lunch, both leaning halfway across the table to maintain an intimate discussion that died the instant his father's presence was detected.

Sofia must have picked up on Cedric's discomfort, because she broke the contact to retract her hand, using it to reclaim her fork and take another bite of her salad, her eyes discreetly travelling back and forth between the two men.

"So I see. Cedric, I was hoping to speak to you. Privately. I could come back, if now isn't a good time." His father's demeanour was even more serious than usual, but Cedric was tempted to accept his offer to leave.

Sofia spoke up before he could ask the older man to return some other time. "Oh, no. Minumus! I completely forgot in all the chaos last night. I should head back to Royal Prep and tend to him." She busied herself with clearing the table, avoiding Cedric's eye the way she had a tendency to do when she was being less than completely honest.

Her horse would be fine at the stable for the day, and they both knew it.

"Sofia, you don't have to–" Cedric began to protest, but she shook her head at him.

"No, I really should go. I meant to bring him home last night, but with all the excitement… I should go", she repeated herself, walking her dishes to the counter.

Cedric collected his own and followed after her. "I'll see you tonight?" Cedric enquired, lowering his voice so only Sofia could hear him. "To hunt vampires, that is", he added when she hesitated to answer.

"Right. O– of course. That is my job now, I suppose", Sofia agreed, turning to look up at him. 

Cedric wanted to say more, but Goodwyn cleared his throat, interrupting them again.

Sofia whispered 'Goodbye' before hurrying out of the tower, leaving the two men to stand in awkward silence.

"You had something you wished to discuss", Cedric prodded when he gave up on waiting for Goodwyn to explain why he was there.

"Yes, that is- I think you should go to the Council and explain to them that you cannot be Sofia's watcher", Goodwyn insisted, staring intently at his son.

Cedric floundered for a response, scarcely able to believe his ears. "My whole life, I've railed against this. You've been telling me since I was ten years old that I had no choice but to become a Watcher. Now I'm doing what you've always wanted from me and you would have me stop", Cedric fumed, a bitter chuckle escaping as he passed his father to head back into the study, hoping to put some much needed distance between them so he could calm down.

"You're far too close to your Slayer. Have you even thought about that?" Goodwyn persisted, shadowing him to the next room. "It isn't a Watcher's place to be their friend. She is to fight evil and you are meant to–"

Cedric already knew perfectly well what his role was supposed to be, so he saw no reason to let the older man finish the sentence. "To watch? To sit idly by while Sofia puts herself in danger over and over again. When she…" A lump rose in his throat, refusing to allow the last word to pass.

"That sort of reaction is precisely what I'm talking about", Goodwyn admonished him. "A Watcher is a guide. You need to prepare the girl and nothing more than that. You are to train her, to advise her, to research threats when the situation calls for it. You have no business being out there by her side whilst she is fighting", Goodwyn blathered on, refusing to let the matter drop until Cedric conceded.

"You sent me out there!" he spat, spinning to face Goodwyn again. "And regardless of your opinion on the matter, I have no intention of abandoning Sofia", Cedric shut him down firmly, hoping this would finally be the end of the discussion.

"If you won't tell the Council that you are too involved, then I will", Goodwyn warned, producing his wand and disappearing in a cloud of smoke before anything more could be said.

_Typical. You always have to get the last word in._  Cedric collapsed onto the sofa in frustration, letting out an annoyed groan.


	3. Crosses

Sofia was dying to know what Goodwyn wanted to discuss so urgently and why he felt it necessary to exclude her when he had never treated her as anything less than family in all the time she'd known the man. It was likely not the sort of thing Cedric would care to recount later, so she decided she wouldn't press him for details when she next saw him. Still, an endless supply of questions plagued her as she muddled through the rest of her afternoon — not just about the matter she hadn't been privy to, but also her new role as a Slayer and all that it entailed. Cedric had satisfied her to a degree, but there were things he was clearly attempting to shield her from and, while she appreciated his motives, she disliked the idea of going into this potentially dangerous new chapter of her life without being armed with as much information as possible.

It was with all of this weighing heavily on her mind that she sat pushing her food around on her dinner plate, completely unaware of the chatter going on around her or, more importantly, that it had ceased abruptly and all eyes were now fixed on her.

"Sofia!" Amber hissed under her breath, discretely nudging the younger girl's leg with the pointed toe of an expensive shoe.

Suppressing a sigh, Sofia turned her attention back to the present just in time to see her sister nod softly in the direction of their parents. "What?" was all she could come up with for a response, since she hadn't been following the thread of their conversation in the least. Her eyes travelled from the blond beside her to the faces of her other family members, only to be met with expressions of concern from all present.

"Sofia, sweetheart… you've barely said a word all day and you haven't touched your food, yet. Are you feeling alright?" Roland asked, examining her for some sign that she was unwell.

She had to laugh inwardly, the only person at the table aware that she now possessed a supernaturally robust immune system. At least, according to the handbook. She considered playing along. it would give her a chance to be excused early, after all. It dawned on her that if the entire palace believed her to be unwell, Baileywick — bless his heart — would be at her door every half an hour to check up on her, making it impossible to go out… _vampire hunting._

She could barely think of it with a straight face, the ludicrous notion that among her other duties she would now be expected to steal away from the castle in the dead of night to fend off the legions of a demonic underworld that no one else believed to exist. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she could be counted amongst the sane, logical people who believed the monsters to be nothing more than the stuff of childish nightmares and idle village gossip, and now it was her sacred duty to spend the hours when everyone else was sleeping soundly in their beds finding and killing these fiends before they could cause any harm.

"I'm fine." It was a lie, of course. She was the exact opposite of 'fine'. "I just had a late snack and my appetite hasn't returned yet", she supplied, forcing the warmest smile she could muster.

To her relief this farce apparently appeased her family and everyone quickly returned to the previous topic, which she soon learnt was Amber's upcoming engagement ball. _Speaking of being trapped in a life you didn't choose…_ Beneath the table, Sofia reached over and squeezed her sister's hand sympathetically. Alongside her new obligations, she would have to make some time to ferry the future Queen back to the Mystic Isles, if only so Amber and Harumph could say their goodbyes properly.

Sofia participated enough to avoid further suspicion and took the next natural lull as an opportunity to make her escape, with the permission of her parents. Careful to maintain appearances, she went to her chambers first, pointedly exchanging polite greetings with each servant she met on the way in order to establish a strong alibi.

Once alone in her bedroom, she shoved all doubt aside and stripped down, stopping only briefly to admit to herself what a relief it was to be rid of the bulky gown and all of her various trappings before tugging on her far more comfortable riding clothes for the second time that day. Content that she was as ready as she would ever be for what lay ahead, she hurried down the hall, this time taking pains not to be seen, and up the stone stairs to the Royal Sorcerer's tower.

The old, patinated gargoyles that she usually imagined were greeting her genially appeared to be warning her away instead, and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself before she rose her trembling hand to rap on Cedric's door. Her knuckles didn't have a chance to make contact with the wooden surface before Cedric flung the door open and peered out, the frantic expression plastered across his handsome face replaced instantly with deep relief at the sight of her.

"Ah, there you are! What the devil took you so long?" he questioned, grabbing her arm and practically dragging her into the workshop.

"I couldn't leave dinner too early without anyone wondering why and then I had to change", she explained, leaving out the part about how increasingly frazzled her nerves were becoming at the prospect of facing one of those things again.

"That's true. It's extremely important that your identity remains a secret, even from those closest to you", Cedric replied, leading her to the table.

On top, an array or weapons, some familiar and others less so, were laid out for her selection.

"Take only what you trust yourself to handle. Being face to face with a vampire is no time to learn a new weapon", Cedric instructed, watching as Sofia ran her fingers along the tiller of a large crossbow. "Do you know how to use that?"

"I've only shot a regular bow", she informed him, shaking her head.

"Damn. It's a rather good skill to have. Or, so I'm told… Never did get the hang of the thing."

Though Sofia felt inexplicably drawn to it, she heeded Cedric's warning and selected a composite bow, which either he'd strung in advance or wasn't aware it should be kept unstrung between uses, and slid it into an available bow case which she attached to a quiver. She peeked up as she fastened the straps around herself, and couldn't help the swell of pride that came from seeing how her knowledge, gained years ago from her visits with Carol of the Arrow, clearly impressed Cedric.

The exchange passed wordlessly between them, ending abruptly when Cedric turned back to the table and began stuffing several smaller items into the pockets of his robe, the coal-coloured one, she noticed in passing, then paused to study Sofia, tapping his chin in thought.

"Let's see now, I know there was something else. What was it?" he pondered aloud, though the playful lilt in his tone, paired with the mischievous glint in his amber eyes, gave her every reason to believe that he hadn't really forgotten whatever he was referring to.

He grinned at her, then raced from the room. Sofia used the minutes he was absent to collect a few of the long wooden weapons she'd used to finish off the previous night's opponent. When he returned, he presented her with a long rectangular box covered in deep red velvet. Sofia examined it curiously as he fumbled with the clasp, ignoring the temptation to reach over and open it herself, as he was obviously excited and she didn't want to ruin anything for him.

The container opened, revealing a length of black ribbon with a metal clasp on each end. An ornate cross was affixed to the centre, and the whole thing lay neatly on a bed of shining white satin. Sofia met his gaze as he lifted the choker and brought it to her throat, his slender, agile fingers deftly fastening the ends together behind her neck.

"What's this for?" she whispered, almost afraid that speaking would shatter the palpable intimacy of the moment.

"For your protection, of course. They react to crosses, remember?" Cedric pointed out, lightly flicking the symbol she now wore for emphasis.

Sofia did remember, it had said so in the guidebook, but it felt odd to wear the token of a religion she didn't follow so prominently. "Thank you."

It occurred to her to wonder if the band was waiting for whichever Slayer he happened to be assigned or if Cedric had selected it specifically with her in mind, but she ultimately chose not to ask him as she wasn't entirely certain she wished to know the answer. Before she had too much time to dwell on the origin of the gift, Cedric was urging her to hurry towards the seldom used back entrance of the tower.

"So, where exactly are we headed?" Sofia enquired as they made their way outside.

Her companion simply shook his head and they remained silent until they were well outside the boundaries of the palace grounds.

"We're going to the cemetery", Cedric finally explained as they stepped off the wide bridge to Dunwiddie. "Freshly turned vampires are easier to fight. They don't quite have the hang of their powers yet, and most have no idea what's happened to them. It's the perfect place to hone your skills."

They marched briskly through the near empty cobblestone roads of the village, the stillness of the late evening interrupted only by the occasional revelry spilling out of taverns littered here and there, their lights and cheerful ambiance beacons of safe haven defying the foreboding darkness of the night.

Sofia allowed herself a quick daydream that she and Cedric were just a couple of friends on their way to make merry at such a place, her with a hot cider and he with the whiskey she'd seen him drink before on special occasions. Perhaps they'd curl up in an otherwise deserted corner and trade stories of past adventures the other had already heard a dozen times before but never minded listening to again, or lose track of the hour while talking about potions and spells.

The fantasy came to an end as they approached the outskirts of the village and the cast iron fences and marble mausoleums of the graveyard came into view, and Sofia worried her lip as reality set back in, closing the distance between herself and her mentor — _Watcher_ , her brain corrected, though she still wasn't entirely certain what the role entailed — for the added reassurance his nearness always brought her.

"Do you feel anything?" Cedric questioned, brushing a hand against the small of her back as they skirted cautiously through the large metal gates and onto the dirt paths that cut their way between the headstones and statues that marked the individual plots of villagers laid to rest in these hallowed grounds

Her father was here, somewhere, though she couldn't recall the exact location of his grave.

"Nauseous. And a bit clammy", Sofia answered honestly, causing Cedric to stop and look her over carefully.

"There's no need to be worried, Sofia. Remember, you were born for this." She managed a smile and a quick nod, though his words of encouragement did little to subdue the frenzied pounding of her heart against her breast, or slow her racing pulse which sent rushes of blood thrumming through her ears.

 _They drink blood_ , she reminded herself with a shudder.

"I meant can you sense any demons nearby. Slayer intuition and all that", Cedric added as they entered a section of new plots, recently dug earth filling the damp, cool air with a pungent, somewhat pleasant aroma.

Sofia did her best to calm herself, reaching out with her mind in search of the sensations she'd felt when encountering the man — _vampire_ — at Royal Prep. Her flesh chilled and goose-pimpled, the tiny wisps of hair on the back of her neck bristled, and every one of her senses attuned together, mysteriously heightened to a point she'd never before experienced, like a cat able to predict an oncoming storm. She swallowed thickly, her speed dwindling to just above a full stop so she could process the flow of innate perceptions being fed directly to her brain.

"I– I think so. Over that way", she answered, pointing further down through the row of graves.

They continued in the direction her instincts indicated, Sofia growing more sure in her assessment with each step. They passed a stone that sent her spiralling into overdrive and she reached out and placed a hand on Cedric's arm, stilling the man.

"Is this it?" His eyes flashed at her in the moonlight before he turned to read the engraving on the headstone. "Benjamin Goode. Ironic, innit?" he mused softly.

"What do we do now?" Sofia breathed, staring at the grave in front of them.

Cedric spun and gestured to a pair of raised headstones across the path. "Now, we wait", came his casual response, and he left her side to claim a seat on one of the markers, patting the other one in case she hadn't understood that she was meant to sit down and somehow relax until Benjamin made his appearance.

Sofia crossed to stop in front of the stone meant for her, running her hand over it reverently and welcoming the feel of cold, grey marble beneath her heated palm.

"You might as well sit. No telling how long this will take."

She perched herself on top, keeping a watchful eye trained on Benjamin's grave. Beside her, Cedric produced his wand, twirling it idly between his nimble fingers the way he tended to when he was apprehensive.

"I thought there was nothing to worry about", Sofia commented.

Cedric missed a beat and the wand dropped to the ground below him. "Who's worried?" he demanded, leaning down to brush his hands through the grass until he retrieved the magical tool. "I'm merely impatient to meet our new friend here."

"How long do you think we'll have to wai– " Sofia didn't have a chance to finish, because the dirt mound across from them began to shift as if Benjamin had been waiting for his cue to rise.

On the edge of her peripheral vision, Sofia caught Cedric trading his wand for a sharpened stake and she made a mental note to find out later why magic was ineffective against the undead creature currently clawing his way to the surface. For the time being, she readied her bow, hoping to end the encounter before it could turn into an all out battle like the last one. All she had to do was keep steady and aim.

Apparently, Benjamin had been a young man with shaggy dishwater blond hair, as that was the first thing Sofia saw as she drew in a breath and pulled her bowstring back, lining it up with the corner of her mouth. Wait for the heart. Next came a boyish face with penetrating steel grey eyes, a charming upturned nose, and a strong jaw. The utter normalcy of his appearance disarmed her and she exhaled her held breath.

"Sofia, shoot!" Cedric's command shocked her into action and she let loose her arrow as Benjamin lunged forward, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Damn", she muttered, throwing the bow to the ground and withdrawing her own stake.

The vampire, perhaps deterred by her shot, took off down the path. Sofia chased after him at a speed she hadn't known herself to be capable of. Cedric was right. The fledgling vampire lacked the capacities of the last one and it didn't take long before she caught him, tackling him from behind like he was a dazzleball opponent.

The two of them tumbled to the ground roughly, and Sofia's shoulder struck hard against the black base of a looming angel statue, but she was so focused on her target that she barely registered the pain before she raised the pointed weapon into the air above her head, ready to drive it into the monster's heart. She had underestimated Benjamin's strength, though, and he threw her off of him. As she struggled to her feet he pounced on her, knocking her back onto the ground. Gripping her wrist, he tried to turn her own stake against her.

"Cedric!" she screamed, using all her might to maintain the few centimetres between her weapon and her chest.

She kicked wildly, doing all she could to struggle out from underneath the vampire's weight. The sound of heavy footfall would have caught her attention, if it weren't a matter of life and death to keep her eyes trained on the hand firmly ensnaring her wrist. Above them, Cedric blinked into and out of sight, appearing only long enough to ram into Benjamin before vanishing again. Sofia capitalised on this stroke of luck, kicking the stunned man off and leaping to her feet. Benjamin recovered just as quickly, fleeing down a path that led further into the graveyard. Sofia began to pursue him until she heard the strangled, mournful cry of her name. _Cedric._

* * *

Cedric raced towards Sofia and Benjamin, horrified by the sight of his best friend about to be done in by her own stake. He made a run at the vampire, attempting to dislodge him from his position on top of Sofia. Just as he struck against him, a pair of strong hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him backwards, flipping him onto the ground.

To his left, Cedric could hear the continuing sounds of Sofia's battle, which he found oddly reassuring now that he couldn't see what was happening. He drew back his fist and attempted to punch the vampire on top of him, but couldn't get any leverage in his current position. The fiend flashed him a wide, toothy grin as his face transformed to reveal his true, demonic visage. _The feed._ Cedric fought to reach one of the weapons in his robe, but halted suddenly, his will to fight back draining as he realised he could no longer hear any sign of his charge.

"Sofia–" The choked cry was his, but he was barely aware that he'd spoken. _I failed you._

The vampire leaned in, and time ceased as he ignored his oncoming fate in favour of listening for any sign of Sofia.

Sharp fangs just grazed his flesh when the monster above him decayed into dust. Sofia, looking every bit like an angel of mercy, reached her hand through the grey haze. Cedric accepted the gesture, letting her help him to his feet.

"Benjamin?" he croaked out, rubbing a spot on the back of his neck that ached from his fall.

Sofia shook her head. "He escaped", came her short reply, accompanied by a quick glance in the opposite direction.

"What? Why didn't you chase after him?"

The question earned a scoff and an incredulous glare from Sofia, who busied herself with brushing the dirt off of his robe. "You were two seconds away from being dinner. Why do you think I didn't chase him?" she demanded, retracting her hands to rest them squarely on her hips. "We're in this together, remember?"

"That's not… entirely what I meant when I said that." He sighed, deciding that they'd both had more than enough excitement for one night. "I suppose we can always find him tomorrow."

Without warning, Sofia closed the narrow gap between them to wrap her arms around his neck. "I thought I was going to lose you", she confessed with a sniffle, prompting Cedric to return the embrace.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of, dearest." Cedric's poor shot at humour was rewarded by a tight squeeze from Sofia.

"I see why Goodwyn was concerned", a voice, decidedly female, spoke from behind them.


	4. Interruptions

"I can see why Goodwyn was concerned."

Cedric hastily put some distance between himself and Sofia while turning his attention to the unfamiliar voice.

"And you are?" he drawled, though he had the sinking suspicion that he already knew exactly what the woman had come for and why.

Sofia, clearly still in fight or flight mode, and understandably so, planted herself between Cedric and the stranger, raising her stake defensively until Cedric patted her on the shoulder, reassuring the girl despite his own raw nerves.

"I am Emily Pratt, a representative of the Council. I've come to review a conduct complaint by a former Watcher", she introduced herself, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose as she regarded the pair. Her steely gaze settled on Sofia first. "Care to tell me why the vampire you were fighting is now running free amongst the general population?" Emily interrogated, her eyes piercing straight into Sofia.

"I… there were…" Sofia floundered for an explanation, and Cedric squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"I can answer that. It was her first time fighting more than one vampire at a time. I'd say she did rather well, considering she received no formal training before this morning." Cedric's voice was strong and defiant, practically daring the councilwoman to argue the point, and Sofia was taken aback by this unusual display of brash confidence from her usually reserved friend.

"Besides, my Watcher was in danger", Sofia added, unable to see Cedric grimace from where she stood.

"Which brings me to my next question", Emily stated, pointedly shifting her eyes from Sofia to Cedric. "What exactly were you doing out here fighting vampires like some sort of rogue vigilante?"

There was no good answer for that and Cedric knew it. He was also aware that remaining silent would garner him no extra favour with the woman, so he decided that even a bad response was better than none at all. "I was protecting my Slayer."

Sofia reached up to touch his hand in a show of appreciation, but he discreetly tugged it away.

"Watchers are trained in combat for the sole purpose of passing that knowledge on to their charges, not so they can go out hunting demons themselves. Your blatant disregard of the Council's rules endangered not only yourself, but also your Slayer and the entire population of this village", Emily persisted.

"Did you miss the part where I would have died had he not distracted Benjamin?" Sofia blurted out incredulously.

Emily remained unfazed, and Cedric knew why this information did nothing to sway her perception of the incident. Slayers perished all the time, particularly inexperienced ones. To the Council this was no more than a slight nuisance, a basic fact of life. A Slayer's death was like the rising and setting of the sun, expected and unremarkable. In the ancient battle between the forces of good and evil, the ever increasing body count of these girls meant less than nothing. _And I was no better than them_ , he lamented his previous stance on the matter. His blood boiled, and he could feel the tick in his jaw, but he held his tongue because it was in Sofia's best interest not to be reassigned to a more 'proper' Watcher, one who shared and upheld the Council's views.

"That is not my concern, Miss Balthazaar", Emily replied, readjusting her glasses again.

"What is your 'concern', then?" Sofia demanded petulantly before turning her back on the Councilwoman to speak to Cedric. "What is this all about?" she asked him, her tone softer now that she was addressing her long time friend.

"Be still", Cedric hissed.

"You'd be wise to listen to your Watcher. I've already decided to be lenient, and I doubt you wish to change my mind", Emily informed Sofia. "Cedric, you will receive a formal reprimand and be placed under probationary measures, effective immediately."

Sofia gasped, her eyes flying wide as she spun on her heels to face the older woman again. "Is that what passes for leniency with the Council? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life! I–" She never got a chance to finish her protests, though.

"Enough, Sofia!" Cedric growled out, promising himself that he would apologise profusely for snapping at her the next time they were alone.

"Take your Slayer back to the palace, train her properly, and do not let me catch you engaging in combat again or you will be removed from your post immediately", Emily instructed Cedric sternly, and he nodded. "I expect you both to conduct yourselves properly from now on."

She didn't mention the other reason for Goodwyn's concern, though Cedric was sure his father had brought it up in his complaint. At any rate, he didn't need to hear it to know that their relationship, too, would be a factor in his probation, and he was actually thankful to her for not addressing it in front of Sofia because he had the distinct impression that there would be no holding her back if she learnt that their affection for one another was what brought Emily here in the first place.

Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, Sofia snapped her mouth shut and simply stared as Emily took her leave, walking back down the path that led out of the cemetery. Cedric waited until she was out of sight to nudge Sofia, rousing her from her daze.

"Does she mean all of that? Can she really arrange it so you're not my Watcher anymore?" Sofia enquired.

Cedric nodded solemnly. "She does and she can. But let's not discuss it here", he whispered, worried that they may still be under the watch of the Council, even though they appeared to be alone. Producing his wand, he transported them back to his workshop, the only place he could trust that they wouldn't be overheard.

"You said it was all about fate!" Sofia spat out, directing her rage at him because there was nowhere else to aim it. "If that's true, then how can some– some… Emily just step in and decide that the universe chose wrong?"

"The Council has to do what they deem best", Cedric muttered the only answer he had, though he wasn't much in the mood to toe the mark at the moment.

Frankly, he'd prefer to indulge in her righteous fury. To hunt down Emily Pratt and give her the piece of his mind he'd carefully withheld during their meeting. But if they were going to get through this unscathed then one of them had to keep a level head, and from the looks of things it was not going to be Sofia any time soon.

"Best for who? For me?" Sofia questioned, pacing the floor.

"No", Cedric answered plainly.

Sofia's mouth formed into a small 'o' as understanding washed over her.

"Truth be told, the Council cares very little about what's best for you. If something happened there'd be another girl chosen, and another one after that", he admitted the truth he'd been trying so hard to shield her from.

"What about you?" She stopped close to him, her sapphire eyes searching his face, imploring him for something, though he wasn't sure what.

"You mean do they care about me? Maybe slightly more, but not much." Cedric shrugged. "I imagine my training was expensive, at any rate."

"No, not that." Sofia waved a dismissive hand between them, no longer interested in who or what the Council deemed important. "Do you think me… disposable?" she hiccoughed the last word, and Cedric grasped one of her hands, bringing her closer to him.

"Of course I don't. I already told you I won't let anything happen to you", he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "You are my favourite person, Sofia."

"I'm going back out", she informed him, pulling out of his embrace.

"What?" Cedric furrowed his brow as he looked her over. "Why would you–"

"I'm going to find Benjamin and prove to the Council that I can do my job. That my Watcher… That you are exactly who I need beside me if I'm to do what they expect from me." Sofia was pacing again, her features set in determination, and Cedric was growing concerned.

"It's late and you're upset. What you need to do is go get some sleep", he told her firmly.

Sofia shook her head, hurrying to the back entrance.

"Sofia, I forbid you from going back out there!"

Her hand already on the brass handle, she paused and craned her neck to glance back at him. Cedric swallowed hard. He'd never spoken to her in such a way but he absolutely had to make her see reason.

"I'm sorry", she breathed, swinging the door open and disappearing through it.

Cedric stared at the door in aggravation as it swung shut behind her. He should follow her. The girl wasn't trained nearly enough to go wandering alone at night hunting vampires, nor was she in the proper state of mind to do so safely. To go after her could easily be seen as a violation of his probation though, and could result in his removal as her Watcher. Why hadn't she just listened to him for once in her life? Running a hand through his silvery bangs, he groaned in frustration as he continued his internal debate.

He hadn't known. In twenty-seven years, he never once stopped to consider that the Slayers were people, little girls with family and friends who adored them beyond belief. That when they selflessly left home to go out hunting monsters, waiting up for them were others who worried themselves sick because a loved one — perhaps the centre of their entire universe — was out doing gods-know-what at all hours. He never wondered about the utter devastation that descended upon the lives of those closest to a Slayer on the inevitable night when she didn't come home and never would again. Standing there in his tower with nothing but the deafening pounding of his heart to keep him company, he finally understood everything the Council refused to acknowledge. He hadn't known, hadn't cared to know, because it was so, so much easier not to.

* * *

 

For the second time that night, Sofia found herself standing at the entrance to the Dunwiddie cemetery. The large iron gates loomed ominously before her, demanding that she make a decision — push her way through and do what she came for or turn tail and flee, returning to Cedric's tower to beg his forgiveness for her impudence and admit she hadn't the courage to face a lone fledgling vampire without him. Considering the consequences they would both face if Cedric was caught helping her fight vampires again, the answer was painfully obvious. She'd have to apologise for making him worry about her, at any rate, but that would go much smoother when she returned a victorious Slayer and not a snivelling little girl. Gathering her nerve, she opened the gate and skirted quietly through.

When Benjamin fled their encounter earlier, he headed not out of the cemetery but deeper inside, and Sofia's instinct told her that he was still somewhere on the grounds. Though she wished Cedric was with her, she was glad in some small way that she needn't worry about him being harmed this time, freeing all of her focus for the battle to come.

Tuning in to the preternatural senses that led her to Benjamin's grave in the first place, she wandered the paths into the oldest parts of the graveyard, beyond crumbling stone and untended overgrowth, until she came to a halt in front of an enormous mausoleum, practically ancient when compared to the polished marble structures nearer to the gates. The doors were covered by ivy at some point but it was clear that the vines had been disturbed recently, and she was certain the vampire had torn them away to gain entrance to the building.

Drawing in a deep breath, she swung open one of the heavy doors and took a few hesitant steps inside. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness within, and it dawned on her that she'd made a terrible mistake.

Not one, but three vampires were gathered inside; Benjamin, another man, and a beautiful young woman who must've been scarcely be older than Sofia herself. All of them leered at her as she stood there, her mind screaming at her to flee as fast as possible.

"I… I'm sorry, I was looking for the wash room", Sofia blurted out the first lie that crossed her mind, scooting backwards towards the entrance.

Behind her, the door slammed shut and a pair of hands with grotesque yellowed nails sharpened into talons gripped her shoulders.

"That's her. The girl I was telling you about", Benjamin informed the others, pointing in Sofia's direction.

"Oh, this is no ordinary girl", Talon man drawled out, the metallic stench of his breath rising to offend Sofia's nostrils as he leaned in and took a long whiff of her hair. Or perhaps her throat. "This is a Slayer", he finished the assessment with a flourish, and Sofia willed herself not to tremble beneath his icy grip as his nails dug into her tender flesh. Though she considered herself a fairly brave girl, she was finding it inexplicably difficult to think, let alone attempt to break away, for the terror that the creature at her back inspired. "A pretty one, too."

"Let me have her, Sire", the female hissed out, advancing in their direction.

She didn't walk so much as glide effortlessly across the stone floor, leaving Sofia to question how she could possibly outrun the nimble woman if need be. The man behind Sofia chuckled darkly and one of his hands raised from her shoulder to wrap weathered fingers around her neck. Sofia swallowed hard, cringing at his touch, but as he closed his fist around her throat smoke began to rise and the fiend howled in pain. _The cross._ Oh, Sofia owed Cedric so much more than an apology now and, if she somehow survived this, she vowed to find some way to thank him properly for his gift. For the moment, the prudent thing to do was not allow this opportunity to escape the vampire's grip to go to waste.

The woman lunged at her, but Sofia learnt that she was, in fact, fast enough to dodge her attack, and even managed to trip her in the process. Reaching back, she retrieved one of the arrows from the quiver slung over her shoulder and used it to stake the fallen vampire — _vampiress?_ — from behind, turning her into a pile of ash. _One down…_

A heavy weight landed on her back, and she dropped to the ground, hearing the vampire topple down beside her. Rolling onto her side, Sofia found herself face-to-face with the male vampire who had been standing next to Benjamin when she first entered the crypt. Reacting quickly, she raced to her feet and drove the same arrow into his chest, finding her mark easily and defeating him before he could stand. _See, I can handle two vampires._  A smug grin stretched across her face. If Emily Pratt were there she might have stuck her tongue out at the woman, not caring in the least if the gesture was rather childish.

Before she could spend long revelling in her achievement, Benjamin landed a hard punch through the falling ashes of his companion, causing her to drop the arrow and falter backwards. She ducked a second blow and kicked him in the kneecap, knocking down. While she was reaching for a fresh arrow so she could finish him off, the same gnarled hands grabbed her again, tugging her back against their owner's large body.

"That is quite enough, Slayer", he growled into her ear, lowering his face to the spot where her shoulder and neck connected, directly below the band of Cedric's choker. His pointed fangs grazed her, and she scrunched her eyes shut, preparing for the vision of her Watcher to be the last thing she ever saw.

A loud crashing sound came from behind and the vampire dropped to the ground. Sofia spun to investigate only to spy a hooded figure standing over the unconscious monster, pieces of a broken urn littering the floor around the latter. The mysterious stranger grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her through the doorway and back out into the cemetery, where the sun was just beginning to colour the horizon in rosy pinks.

"Wait, I can't go yet!" Sofia protested her own salvation, wrestling herself free of the gloved hand wrapped around her wrist. "I have to kill Benjamin, or Emily will… and that– that man", she insisted, trying to run back inside the mausoleum.

Behind her, the would-be rescuer whispered something and, when she glanced over her shoulder to ask what they'd said, she suddenly grew very dizzy. Her vision faded to darkness and the last sensation she was cognisant of was being caught gently right before she could hit the ground.

* * *

"Sofia… Sofia, wake up."

 _That voice._ She knew that wonderful baritone, the one that had spent years patiently guiding her — first as an apprentice and now as his Slayer. Sofia opened her eyes, wincing in the harsh daylight. Her head throbbed terribly and it was difficult to focus her blurred sight on the man leaning over her, his face contorted in overwhelming concern.

"Cedric?" Sofia squeaked. She struggled to sit, but everything ached and she was forced to give up.

"What were you thinking running off like that? You could have been killed!" he admonished her. "You… You scare me to death, girl!"

Sofia concentrated on flashing him what she hoped could pass for a contrite smile, though it took all of her energy to do even this simple thing.

"I did say I was sorry" she offered weakly.

"Right, like that makes it any better", he grumbled.

Despite his complaints, his hand cupped her cheek, and she nuzzled against the rough fabric of his fingerless gloves.

"What happened?"

His silvery bangs and the distinct features of his face were starting to come into focus, though the scowl she received made her question if this was really a good thing.

"Damned if I know. When it got to be light out and you hadn't returned, I came after you. Found you lying on this bench, and it took at least a half hour to wake you."

This time, when Sofia tried to get up, he helped her and claimed the emptied space beside her on the wooden bench, keeping his arm encircled around her waist to steady her.

"I… I think there was someone else. Were they here when you found me?" Sofia glanced around, but there was no trace of the hooded person.

Cedric shook his head, studying her closely. She tried to remember the details of what had transpired, but the throbbing in her head made it impossible to concentrate.

"Take me home, please."


End file.
